The present invention relates to a driver for rewinding a cargo winch such as are used in connection with flatbed trailers to strap loads with straps.
Various loads are shipped over highways in closed vans and on flatbed trailers. The loads carried by these different types of trailers are secured in various ways. In order to secure the load onto a flatbed trailer, heavy straps are slung over the load from one side of the trailer to the other are secured using cargo winches. See FIG. 1, which shows in perspective the rear portion of a flatbed trailer with a load of cut lumber secured using typical cargo winches of the type currently in widespread use. FIGS. 2 and 3 show details of the construction of a cargo winch.
Winch 10 includes a bracket 12 that is welded or bolted to the frame 14 of trailer 16, a rotatable sleeve 20 mounted to bracket 12, a ratchet 22 on the left side and a collar 24 on the right side of bracket 12. Collar 24 is used to rotate sleeve 20. Collar 24 has holes 28 formed therein for insertion of a “cheater” bar for greater leverage when the driver tightens straps 30 running over load 34.
To use cargo winch 10, strap 30 is thrown over load 34 from one side of trailer 16 and its end is inserted a slot 36 in sleeve 20 of a cargo winch 10 on the receiving side of trailer 16. Collar 24 is rotated a few turns to take up the slack in strap 30. Then the cheater bar (not shown) is inserted into hole 28 and used to further rotate collar 24 and tighten strap 30.
When trailer 16 has arrived at its destination, strap 30 is loosened from winch 10 and thrown back over load 34. Load 34 is removed from the deck of trailer 16. Then strap 30 is rewound onto winch 10 by rotating collar 24 by hand.
On some trailers there may be 10, 15 or even as many as 20 straps. Rewinding even one strap 30 by hand is a tedious task and will tend to cause forearm muscles to tighten and cramp.
The prior art shows a variety of hand cranks for rewinding cargo straps and one instance of a cordless drill with an adapter that fits into collar 24. The adapter has a spring-loaded detent that must be depressed in order to insert the adapter into collar 24. Once adapter is inserted, the pushbutton then springs out to seat itself into a hole 28 in collar 24. To remove the adapter, the detent must be pressed in far enough to allow the adapter to slide clear of the hole and be removed from collar 24.
Thus there remains a need for a better, quicker way to rewind cargo straps onto the cargo winch.